Ukraine News in brief. Sunday 18 February. [Ukrainian sources]

SUNDAY HEADLINES:
The second American destroyer Carney entered the Black Sea.  "Russian-speaking population in the Donbass will protect United Nations peacekeepers more quickly," Volker.  "Javelin" will strengthen the position of Ukraine in the negotiations on the Donbass.  "Ukraine and Russia have to agree on the composition of peacekeepers," Rasmussen.  Putin promised a new era of relations with Europe and attacked Georgia and Ukraine.  In Ukraine, the participant of the Russian biker club "Night wolves" was not allowed.

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The USS Carney rocket destroyer entered the Black Sea and joined the destroyer Ross.

It informs Tsenzor.NET referring to Krym.Realiyi , as is stated in the press service of the 6th Fleet of the US Navy.

"The event of the second US Navy ship in the Black Sea is being carried out within the framework of the schedule, which allows the US Navy to maintain operational presence in the region," the document said.

The press service said that the decision to immediately send two ships to the Black Sea was approved in advance for maritime security operations.

"We are working in our chosen time in this strategically important region, ships by nature are flexible and mobile, and the Navy can uniquely provide reliable forces to protect our interests around the world," the Navy's press service quoted the words of the commander of the destroyer Carney Vice Admiral Christopher Gredi.

The statement of the 6th Fleet states that the last two ships of the US Navy were at the same time in the waters of the Black Sea during the Ukrainian-American Sea Breeze exercises in July 2017.

"The constant presence of the US Navy in the Black Sea demonstrates our commitment to regional stability, the safety of our maritime partners in the Black Sea region, and the collective defense of our NATO allies," Gredi said.

Destruction of Carney - a ship of the Arleigh Burke type. Its length - 154 meters, displacement - 9 thousand tons. The destroyer is equipped with the Aegis missile defense system, the Tomahawk and Harpoon missiles, as well as air defense systems and underwater detection and attack. He can carry two assault helicopters Sikorsky MH-60R.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Special Representative of the United States Department of State for Affairs of Ukraine Kurt Volker stated during a speech at the Ukrainian lunch in the context of the Munich Security Conference that the United Nations peacekeeping forces in the Donbas will be the best option for the protection of the Russian-speaking population in the region.

Tsensor.NET informs about it with the reference "Unian".

According to him, the "hot war" in which the people are perishing and where the humanitarian situation "is urgent" is going on in the Donbas.

Volker reminded that Russia insists that it wants to protect the Russian-speaking population in the east of Ukraine, and therefore supposedly supports its efforts there.

"The best we can do to protect people, security and peace, is to put a peacekeeping force under the UN mandate in the region, which will actually put an end to the conflict and create the conditions under which the Minsk agreements are fully realized," Volker said.

 ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The provision of Ukraine's Javelin portable anti-tank missile complexes will strengthen Kyiv's position on conflict resolution talks in the Donbas, but the Ukrainian industry itself is capable of producing high-quality missiles.

According to Cenzor.NET, an ex-commander of the United States Armed Forces in Europe, Ben Hodges, a strategist at the Center for European Political Analysis, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle .

"Ukraine has a powerful defense industry capable of producing high-quality anti-tank complexes, so I advise you to look carefully at it. This is not an over-complexity technology, why would not Ukraine make its own systems?" - stressed the general.

"Washington is interested in stopping violence on the Donbas, but not so, to preserve its achievements in Russia on this territory," added Hodges.

Regarding the possible UN peacekeeping mission in the region, he stressed that "the key is that the contingent is reliable, so we have to find countries professional, capable, strong, which can not be pushed aside." Hodges believes that countries that do not belong to NATO, such as Sweden or Finland, can be mentioned.

The General noted that the mission's mandate should clearly define the rules for the transition to combat, the command hierarchy, and the task.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Rasmussen added that the sanctions would force the Russian Federation to make concessions to UN peacekeepers.

With the help of sanctions, it is possible to force the RF to show flexibility in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Donbass. Such an opinion was expressed by the former head of NATO, Advisor to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko Anders Fogh Rasmussen, to the Ukrainian journalists in Munich, informs Tsensor.NET with reference to "Ukrinform".

"It is very important to keep pressure on Russia." The American decision to strengthen sanctions and transfer arms to Ukraine has increased pressure on Russia, and we need to preserve it in order to force the Russians to really advance, in particular, on the issue of a peacekeeping mission, "the politician said.

"First of all, Ukraine and Russia have to agree on the composition of the peacekeeping force. I would of course like to see NATO members in it, but Russia will obviously oppose it. Therefore, we recommend that, for example, Finland, Sweden, Austria make their contribution", - stressed Rasmussen.

"I doubt that there will be some kind of development until the presidential elections in Russia. So far, the proposal for a very small mission and without a strong mandate, with which Putin spoke 2 months ago, will not solve the issue in the east of Ukraine," he added.

As you know, Sweden has declared its willingness to participate in a peacekeeping mission in the Donbas, if Russia and the West agree to it.

As a non-NATO country, Sweden was proposed as a possible lead country in a peacekeeping mission in a report commissioned by Rasmussen.

It is noted that the report was presented to officials, including the United States Special Representative in Ukraine Kurt Volker on Saturday.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

Russia can not have a lenient attitude because of its aggression against Georgia and Ukraine.
This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Moravecki during a speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, Cenzor.NET, referring to Ukrinform, reports.

"Russia's President Vladimir Putin, speaking here 11 years ago, promised a new era of relations between Russia and Europe, and indeed he did as he said: we saw an attack on Georgia, and in a few years we saw how he attacked Ukraine. must remember this when it comes to security in Europe, since Russia's question is not exclusively the affair of Central and Eastern Europe, it's about the whole North Atlantic Alliance and the whole of the European Union, "Moravetsky said.

He stressed that it is difficult to talk about a common security and defense policy, if only a small group of NATO countries allocates 2% of GDP to defense.

The Polish premier stressed that Western Europe, unlike the countries of Eastern Europe, forgot about traditional military threats.

"There can be no condescending attitude to aggressors who violate international law. One can not cooperate with those who take a finger, wants to pull his hand," Moravetsky said.

In his view, Europe must jointly respond to cyber threats.

He expressed the opinion that in the information war Russia is now predominant, and this should be taken into account.

ua.censor.net.ua  In Ukrainian/український

At the center of the propagandists of the "Ros-Cooperation" in Kiev, documents were found about the Zaporizhzhya scandalous activist Maxim Ivanyshchev, who is an accomplice of the ex-head of Georgia and leader of the "Movement of New Forces" party Mikheil Saakashvili.

This is informed by Zaporizhzhya site 061.

The Ivanishchev's file was discovered by representatives of the nationalist organization C14, who on Saturday, February 17, broke into the center of "Ros-Cooperation" and laid a pogrom there.

"During an action at the Russian Center for Science and Culture, one of his employees tried to throw out a folder from the window, and although there was a scrap in his hands, we managed to pick up a suspicious item. In the folder we found a business card with contacts of Maxim Anastasievich Ivanyshev, printed screenshots and a dossier from inscription: "Intercont. W 14-30. "Who will tell you what is a person and what is known?" - wrote one of the participants in the action in the social network Facebook.

In particular, Ivanischeva's biography states that he is "known as a popular media personality, actively criticizes the Ukrainian regime," "guaranteed loyalty to the meeting on issues in which we expressed interest," "has contact in the regional administration and security structures." At the end it is stated that "offered to negotiate a trial media package at our expense, then analyze the exhaust and make the final decision on cooperation."

Maxim Ivanishchev is a Zaporizhzhya businessman. Recently, he is part of the Saakashvili party "The Movement of New Forces" and calls himself an activist. The mass media wrote that Ivanishchev owns a number of enterprises in the Russia annexed to the Crimea. Also, he was caught several times by stealing strangers posts in Facebook, and are suspected of making alphabets and reposts on their page using paid bots. In the environment of Zaporizhian activists and volunteers, he has a dubious reputation.

Note that Ivanishchev also participated in the breakthrough of Mikheil Saakashvili's state border of Ukraine. On the photo below, he is right from Saakashvili (blond in a blue T-shirt).



As reported by "Obozrevatel", on February 15, representatives of the С14 fought with ataxes under the court building, which met with the mayor of Odessa Gennady Trukhanov.

obozrevatel.com    In Ukrainian/український

At the airport "Borispol" the border guards did not let the participant of the Russian biker club "Night Wolves" into the territory of Ukraine.

This is reported by the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Russians nicknamed "Vodyanoy", which is an active participant in the Russian association of bikers, banned entry into Ukraine for three years and returned to the Russian Federation.

"Border guards continue to track people who can try to enter Ukraine to destabilize the situation in our country," the STSU stressed.

Note that Russian bikers of the Night Wolf Club are known for supporting the annexation of the Crimea and aggression in the Donbass.

In April 2017, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine monitored the movement of Russian bikers , who made another motorcycle trip across Europe.

 hromadske.ua  In Ukrainian/український

The Czech Republic, whose president supports the policy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, condemns the annexation of the Ukrainian Crimea and supports sanctions against Russia.

This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Martin Stroppnitsky, the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

"The Czech Republic supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine and preserves the regime of sanctions against the Russian Federation," the statement reads.

It is noted that this was discussed at a meeting of Stropnitsky with the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Pavel Klimkin, within the framework of the 54th Munich Conference.

The interlocutors also discussed the political dialogue between the countries.

"The Czech diplomat has assured that the course of the Czech government is unchanged as to the further practical support of Ukraine's European aspirations," the statement says.



Let's remind, that Czech President Miloš Zeman is skeptical about the European Union, and has declared that he is in favor of abolishing anti-Russian sanctions, as well as recognition of the Crimea as part of the Russian Federation.

As reported by Obozrevatel, earlier, Zeman organized a record "voyage" to Putin.

obozrevatel.com  In Ukrainian/український

Netanyahu called Moravetsky's "shocking" statement on "Jewish criminals" in connection with the Holocaust

Between Poland and Israel, the conflict over the recent "Holocaust law" in Warsaw and the statement by the Polish prime minister Mateusz Moravecki in the fields of the Munich Security Conference are gaining momentum.

The head of Israeli government Benjamin Netanyahu called Moravetsky's "shocking" statement on "Jewish criminals" in connection with the Holocaust.

"There is a problem with the understanding of history, as well as the lack of sympathy for the tragedy of our people," Netanyahu wrote in the microblogging Twitter on the night of February 18.

Moravetsky, on Saturday, February 17, on the question of an Israeli journalist, whether he would be considered a criminal in Poland after reporting that his neighbors gave him the Jewish family of the Gestapo, replied:

"Of course, this is not punished when they say that there were Polish criminals - just like Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian criminals, and not only German."

The controversial "law on the Holocaust" caused a sharp reaction outside of Poland. The law provides for punishment for statements made by the ruling party of Poland "Law and Justice" as "falsification of history": anyone who will allow himself to "publicly express" disparaging facts "that the Polish people or the Polish state were involved in crimes committed by Nazi Germany", May be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of up to three years.

As reported, the Speaker of the Senate of Poland, Stanislav Karchevsky, urged Poles living abroad to report Polish anti-Polish statements to Polish diplomats. In a letter to Karchevsky, it was stated: "Please document all anti-Polish statements, complaints and statements that may harm us, as well as report defamings that may affect the reputation of Poland to our embassies, consulates and honorary consulates." As it became known, this letter from the Speaker of the Polish Senate is sent around the world through diplomatic establishments in Poland.

On January 31, it was reported that a bill was proposed in the parliament of Israel , according to which the Polish law on the Institute of National Remembrance, which prohibits the involvement of the Poles in the crimes of the Third Reich, equates to the denial of the Holocaust.

The Polish Sejm adopted in the third reading a bill on the Institute of National Remembrance, which prohibits "Bandera ideology."

glavcom.ua  In Ukrainian/український